Searching for Meaning and Purpose...

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in an odd B-movie remake of the body snatchers? It happens to me occasionally, as I'll see myself do something stupid and not stop myself from doing it winding up looking at myself like, "What the heck was that all about?" Better yet, I find myself acting the part when I should really just be me. A pastor used to say it was "Shifting into 'Rev'" and was just part of the job for us as ministers because we couldn't always be the man for the job and sometimes needed to be that man when we couldn't otherwise. However, Casting Crowns hits the nail on the head in their song about churches: we're all too often just perfect plastic people with our perfect plastic steeples when people are hurting and dying without Jesus outside the doors. How can we justify our hypocrisy when we try to hide our brokenness? Why can't we be who Jesus called us to be? Can we effectively minister without our broken, sinful...

Here's my thought: why do we try to do so much alone when we can do so much more together? I look at all the synergy (yes, I stole the corporate buzz word) created through the ministerial alliance and youth ministerial alliance here in El Dorado, and I am floored. There is more potential and, most importantly, willingness here to be the Church than to be a church. Just looking at what there is between the churches is incredible: we're looking at adding other churches into our after school program to make it a larger endeavor and help more kids have a safe place to go to and get help with school work. At the same time we're planning other events that none of us could pull off alone (like a kicking New Years party) and it rocks! Why then do so many churches behave instead as if they were the only ones in the world that mattered? Is it a deep seeded denominational fight? Or is it the theological differences (like infant or immersion baptism, predestination or free choice,...

After this morning's See You At The Pole prayer time, I was really moved by how awesome God is. 40 some odd middle school students and 8 youth pastors, teachers, and parents prayed for each other, their school, their parents, their friends, their nation, and their world. That by itself was great, but this evening seeing the 100+ students gathered outside at the park, was incredible. Yeah, things didn't work exactly as planned (the lack of lights meant we had to pull some cars up and kick on their headlights, it kinda felt like a Diehard battery ad) but God was there and God did what He wanted to do. I am so convinced that this is a special time and group of ministers, parents/volunteers, and students who are really working towards making things better in our community. It is really pretty incredible to see an event with the Baptist youth guy leading worship, the AG guy running the game, the Xian church guy giving stuff away and cooking up the grub, and a crazed Presbyterian ...

As we attempt to navigate the worldview waters out there, I am struck by how many people who go to church have a non-biblical worldview. Now, some might say, "So what?" and others are appalled but then there are some who look and go, "Huh?" The vast majority of students fall into the last category. They could care less about what undergirds their lives because that isn't important. I hear it all the time: "Well, they believe it so it's true for them." or to put it another way: "Dude, it was okay for me to lie to him cause he didn't need to know." At issue here is the idea of absolutes and morality. In the post-modern world the idea is that it all comes down to our story, there is no bigger story we're a part of. However, in the Christian world, we must acknowledge the bigger story we are merely a small part of. These two fundamental differences shape everything else that is believed, thought, or done by most people. Those...

We just ran our kick-off lock in for junior high and it was insane! Which leads me to my thought: is running a lock in merely clinical insanity writ large or is it really worthwhile? I have an answer based on what I saw, but still had to ask. At our lock-in it brought out our regular crowd and most of my junior high leadership team, but it also brought out 8 brand new faces (people who have never been associated with our program before!). Thinking about that, this evening allowed me to meet and spend a LOT of time with students who have never been here before and most of whom don't have a church background or church home! So, with that in mind, I say that doing this insanity (and the $100 we spent on food, etc.) was well worth it. Which leads me to the second point: when we do things on purpose, it leads to results most of the time. We planned this lock-in to reach out. The whole purpose of the lock-in was to allow us to reach out to and bring in students who haven't eve...

Summer is at an end! The school year officially begins for most of my students tomorrow and brings to an end a REALLY busy summer. But, looking back there are three things I'm really proud of: Mission El Dorado Mission Arkansas Mission Mexico In each endeavor we were being Jesus where people were. And not just around the country or world, but right here in our backyard. Jesus said to take Him to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and all the Earth. This summer we did that: taking Jesus to our city, our nation, and the world. Plus, nothing beats seeing how hard students can work and how much they can get done! I realized again I am very blessed to be a part of a church that so values DOING something with our faith...

After a great weekend of master's classes and the Frequency conference at Indiana Wesleyan University, I am thinking, a lot! I am going to deviate from thinking about what it means to be a Christ follower into what it means to "minister" and what a "ministry" really is. Ministry is a broad term, covering anything someone does in the name of Christ (minister means to give aid not someone who is of the clergy, that's something we associate to it, not the original meaning!). So in theory, feeding someone who is hungry is a ministry (particularly as we fit both contexts, the idea of doing something in Jesus' name and the "professional" idea of someone who does things for the church) especially as it was something Jesus told us to do? However, should there ever be separation between the "professional" idea of ministry and the actual process of giving aid? I think not, but we've made it so. Is there a place for preaching? Yes. Is...

After reading more and thinking a lot, I keep wondering what it really means to be a Christian. If you haven't read it, check out the book "UnChristian" by David Kinnaman. It's a must read for those in ministry and for anyone with a heart to reach people who are disconnected. The book is based on research from people who are NOT Christians on their perspectives of the "church." The results are pretty scary, but there isn't anything uncorrectable or fatal there. The things he lists include: judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political, sheltered, and focused only on "saving" people. Each of those rebukes is true. Partially because the church isn't a homogeneous group, but mainly because it's true! People are turned off by us not being real or by putting on a persona. To quote DC Talk (yes, I am a child of the 80-90's): "The single biggest cause of atheism today are Christians who confess Jesus at church the...

I really like this idea: the current generation (Gen Y, iGen, whatever title you give it) is moving towards real change not just talk. Their focus isn't necessarily on themselves. In fact, I would say there is a concerted movement to focus on others! After the CORE (Dan Jessup was awesome and I think my students soaked up quite a bit) I am totally stoked about finding something we can DO (note: that means the students finding something not Matt) to change the world. Right now one thing is we're "adopting Grannies" from Vintage Place (isn't the name great? Doesn't sound like the normal nursing home, it's vintage, not old!). That is as simple as talking to them once every other month or so, baking cookies, making cards, just investing ourselves in their lives! And it makes a huge difference for the people we talk to. They might not have anyone visit them regularly, but my students do! However, I think there is SO much more we could do (in fact, it...

As I make choices and decisions for our student ministry, I am constantly reminded that grace is greater. No matter what we do, we can never make God love us less. Is that amazing? I think so. But, how does a greater grace play out in my life? That's the question that keeps bugging me. How does this incredible knowledge make me different? Or does it? It should, but it doesn't always work that way. However, if the knowledge of God's love for us doesn't cause massive change, did we really get it? The idea that one can be grabbed by the grace and love of Jesus and not change is insane. In fact, it goes counter to everything we have documented or seen! Jesus took regular, plain jane, guys and made them extraordinary. How? Because when they understood the love of God and the grace He extended through His son they responded the only way they knew how, telling everyone! In fact, the same guys who denied Jesus and ran off scared, later stood in front of the same le...

Here's the dilemma: mercy and forgiveness or safety and justice? I'm not entirely sure myself, but it is the question I'm face with... There is a situation where I'm torn because it could well have been an accident, but at the same time it could equally be completely on purpose. That's why I say it's a dilemma. Jesus always seemed to have the answers in situations like this, but I seem to never have an answer just more questions. Perhaps it's His being the Son of God and knowing everything while I'm just a guy who tries to make wise decisions and do the things He would have done... But, can I let mercy and forgiveness stretch to this 6th incident? I don't think so. If one or two, yeah. But this is after a stout talking to and a serious meeting to define hard lines so that we could keep everyone safe and make things run smoothly. Although Jesus was always forgiving people and is always forgiving me, how can I fail to forgive when I have been ...

Today I was really a happy camper. Ask students to do something, tell them why (and make sure it is a worthwhile cause!), and let them at it. Today my junior high students were awesome. They cleaned, fixed and worked for nothing (although they all netted a free drink, but that's pretty insignificant in comparison) except for the fact that it went to help people. That is something sadly missing in a lot of communities, not to mention the idea of real community. The very word talks about its key: unity in common. Not that I have any idea about word roots and things like that, I was a religion and philosophy major, not an English major. However, the point remains: community is about being in unity around something you share in common. That is something we try to build here, authentic community. Authentic community is a place where people gather and are treated well regardless of their social, economic, or age status. That doesn't happen often today, yet it is at the heart...

My newest kiddo is here! Today Nicholas Isaiah came to join the fray, making the Matt Schaffner clan 6 strong (Me, Kathryn, Gavin, Audra, Gabriel, and Nicholas!). He was 6lbs 14 ozs and 19" long. It's awesome to witness/be a part of new life. Seeing someone so helpless who is ours come to be, is incredible. But, I am also amazed at the parallels to spiritual life. When someone meets Jesus and begins to follow, those of us who have been around a while and are mature (we'd better be or else there's something wrong with everything we do to see "growth") are there to help and nurture. Why? Because someone who is new to the Jesus thing are like a baby (spiritually) and are unable to fend for themselves! That means some mature believers need to step into that person's life and be mentor/parent figures in a spiritual sense. But, have you ever seen that happen in your church? Probably not very often! As a youth worker, I hope that my students get to kn...

After my harsh rhetoric yesterday, I'm left thinking about what matters most. I am no better than the worst and the worst is no better than the best. Sound odd? It should, because it goes so counter to what we know, feel, think, and desire. We naturally group people and things into categories and classify. It is human nature to compare people and classify where we stand in relation to them. I look at Hitler and say he's so horrible because of what he did, while I look at Mother Teresa and say she was so great that I can't compare. Yet, the essence of Christianity is the dichotomy/paradox of grace. Grace says that we are forgiven and made something else. Instead of being an Adolf Hitler, I am told that I am a Mother Teresa. How can that be? Simply trusting and believing in the fact that someone perfect took my place... That belief is what defines Christianity! If there is no substitutionary atonement (meaning that someone took my place!) there is no hope for me. ...

So I'm going a tad political. Not saying anything but having some fun. Miniclip has always been good about having something fun involving elections, but this time it's a tad bit better than average. What's better than a classic smackdown involving Hillary and Barack? Check out this game:

I'm embarking on a season of self reflection. This will be a time of intense scrutiny as to my real intentions, my real purposes, and the real meaning of my life. Today I'm looking at why I live. Has anyone ever asked you the question, "Why do you live?" or more commonly phrased, "What do you live for?" Both questions hit the core question of our human life making us think about why we are here, what our purpose is and why we have the chance to even think about it. I have so much information to pull from: my philosophical training gives me answers and more questions, my theological training provides all the answers I should ever need, and my experience shows both to have valid answers and the questions to remain... But, as Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living," so I am taking some time to look at my life. The purpose behind what I do and why, is what I really am looking for. Yeah, I have the easy answer that I wish I could ...

I keep wondering if spring is actually going to show up this year. We keep going from nice to nasty, nice to nasty, rinse, repeat, annoy the crud out of me! Talk about fun, we were even supposed to get snow last night after being in the 70's Saturday and a warm morning into early afternoon Sunday. My knees are not happy. Every winter I reach this point where I just cannot stand the cold, bleak, dark days any more. I reach the end of my rope and need something different. Not only that, but I need the new to arrive. I cannot sit around and see the death that strikes nature every year without the glimmer of hope, otherwise life degenerates into meaninglessness. But, the joy, the hope that I see is new life. It isn't just a guess, it's a promise. We know that the flowers will bloom, the trees will bud, things will become green and life will continue. We know this to be true, yet while we're here in the bleak, winter landscape it's hard to see beyond that to th...

As we move into a new day, it dawns on me again how thankful I should be for another chance to breath, think, live, and be. It's also a new day to see what God has in store for me as a minster and for my students. Not only that, but as we embark on citywide youth adventure number two (737 at the Middle School too, not just the High School) I am excited! The new song from Passion, God of This City, has me so stoked. The refrain comes around: "Greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city..." That resonates with me on so many levels. First is the fact that it is about this city, not just First Presby, or First Baptist, First Christian, or New Life, or First United Methodist. I work with a phenomenal group of youth workers who are passionately driven to see God's kingdom come here in El Dorado. They are SO not driven by personal kingdom growth (meaning their church and their youth group) and it is such an awesome thing to see ...

It's a funny thing going back "home." After a visit to our old stomping grounds in Hutchinson this weekend, I realize again how temporary things can seem to make enormous change in our lives. Today I experienced the loss of something, an undefinable longing, that made no sense to my mind, but was nonetheless palpable and real. It was the sense of looking for a permanent anchor, the sense that things are not the way the were, combined with the people who still care so deeply for me and my family (although some didn't realize we had even moved! They assumed we were going to one of the other 6 services throughout the weekend...). But, the longing for home (even though Hutch was only home for a few years) was still there. The desire to find what we had thought would/could be permanent, when it was only temporal. To return to the church we thought needed us so deeply, only to realize again that it was we who needed the church. Most interesting of all (and deeply fri...

I know I'd been doing this series of posts on "Problems with God" but, as life has a way of doing, it interrupts our best laid plans. My interruption wasn't pretty, nor has it been fun, but it was something that made me think, a lot. Our lives are filled with interruptions, but it's how we respond that makes us who we are. Some interruptions are good things: marriage, kids, good news, church, etc. Other interruptions are bad things: our screw ups, others screw ups, death, sickness, grief, church, etc. But, each interruption leads us to a place where we must change. When our life is interrupted, the path we were on can be returned to, but we will not be the same because of that momentary (or momentous) interruption. We'll unpack some interruptions and where they lead as well as Jesus' response to life's little interruptions. First, the interruption in my life most recently dealt with someone else's screw up. Yeah, that screw up affected me, b...

You know, it's amazing how little most critics seem to actually know about God before they pose a question. We've looked at hypocrisy and the problem of evil (why bad things happen to good people), but today we'll tackle my favorite: how can God say He is good and do the things He has done (like the Flood, the Israelites Canaan slaughter, etc.)? This question attacks the heart of faith itself. If God isn't good why would we follow Him? That is where many people get hung up. Especially reading through the Old Testament, we see God as seemingly capricious and extremely brutal. There is not much grace extended in the Old Testament while grace is the overriding theme of the New. How does all that make sense? Let's start in the beginning... First, we see God making everything and caring for it (sounds like a "good" and loving God to me!) with only one caveat: don't eat from this ONE tree. Sounds simple, right? But man eats from the one tree and is ...

Last time I talked about hypocrites and the fact that most people say they don't go to church because of the hypocrites. Pointing to the fact that we're not perfect isn't good enough, it's about pointing to the fact that through Jesus we are perfect. However, if we as a church still act "perfect" we're blowing it. So, when they say they have issues about hypocrites, ask them if they go to Wal-Mart. If they say "Yes" (which most anyone will say assuming they live somewhere in the world with electricity and people), ask them why they do that when there are hypocrites there. In fact, Wal-Mart's stated mission/vision seems to contradict what they actually do (ruining the world economy by being the biggest thing since the wheel) in business practices. That's where it all winds up. No matter where we go, people are never going to be perfect. Monks in a monastery still screw up. It's human nature and we won't overcome that. We ...

Have you ever heard people make the statement, "Well, I just have problems with God..."? That statement is typically followed by a critique of the church or of Christianity in general. Some of the critiques are very real, others are lame, some illogical and some plain mean. But, I'll endeavor to show how some of those critiques play out and explain the how's and why's so you'll be equipped to deal with them in this and the next few posts. First is the biggest complaint against the church and Christianity: hypocrisy. How often have you heard someone say, "I don't go to church because of all the hypocrites."? I hear it regularly and am SO tempted to answer in a very mean-spirited way by saying, "Well come anyways, we could always use one more." But, that's just not nice and is plain mean. However, there are reasons and there are answers. The reason is simple: people look in the doors of the church and see people they know acti...

Lots of people have tons of opinions regarding Jesus, just ask at the doors of your local Wal -Mart sometime (since everyone goes to Wal -Mart, as they really run the world). Everyone thinks something of Jesus because He has permeated Western culture to that degree. One might think that there would have to be SOME reason for that to be the case, especially 2000 years later... However, some think Jesus wasn't even a historical figure. They say he didn't exist and is strictly mythology. To that I say, get a grip. History is replete with references to Jesus of Nazareth . Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, recorder tidbits about Jesus although like a good J ew there wasn't too much about the heretic. Other historians from the time period who were recording info about the Middle East also mention Jesus of Nazareth. Then there is the overwhelming documentary evidence that is represented by the Bible. It's not something made up or modified, but something...

"Why should anyone read the Bible, it's all made up anyways?" A student asked me this question once, and as surprised as I was by the question, it is one with a relatively simple answer. Because the Bible is literally the God of the universe speaking. That may sound crazy, but I'll explain. First, let's start with some of the dismissals of the Bible. Some dismiss the Bible because it's "all made up." However, nothing could be further from the truth! No portion of the Bible has ever been proven wrong. Even with what seemed like easy facts to prove wrong, lo and behold, the proof was there. Think David, a biblical king of the Israelites (from Goliath fame...) whom scholars said didn't exist. They kept saying he was made up because there was no proof of this military mastermind who established Israel as a powerhouse until they finally dug up references to "David king of the Hebrews" relating to conquests of their people. Hmm , do...

This seems like a pretty simple statement, but it is something that is being combated so heavily today! People like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins seem more aggressive than many through the years and they are much more vitriolic than their predecessors. But why? Looking at the road today, no one would ever be stupid enough to look at a big truck and exclaim, "Wow. It's so amazing that this big truck randomly came together out of the primordial ooze to form this fully working organism..." However, people claim that humanity (the human body is more complex than anything we can even grasp: a machine that replicates even one of our bodily functions is virtually impossible for us to render because of its complexity. The only portion that has been duplicated are simple machines like the Jarvik heart [a pump]) came about randomly. Richard Dawkins talks about the fact that blind chance leads to all possibilities eventually; one of his examples is that given a set ...